Striping mechanism for circular knitting machines



Sept. 1, 1959 T. J. THORE 2,901,900

STRIPING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 3, 1958 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIELI.

v INVENTOR; THOMAS J. THORE ATTYS.

Sept. 1, 1959 T. J. THORE STRIPING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 3, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 All" I II [I I] II II III] 4 :TI I 1mm llllllllilllll lll Illllllllll INVEN+0|2I THOMAS J. THORE ATTYS.

Sept. 1, 1959 T. J. THORE 2,901,900

STRIPING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 3, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR: J. THORE ATTYS Sept. 1, 1959 T. J. THORE 2,901,900

STRIPING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES I I Filed March 3, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fl Ii 4. '65 54 BY THOMAS J. THORE AT TYS,

T. J. THORE Sept. 1, 1959 STRIPING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 5 sheet s-sheet 5 Filed March 3, 1958 INVENTORI THOMAS J. THORE ATTYS.

United States Patent STRIPING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Application March 3, 1958, Serial No. 718,595

7 6 Claims. (Cl. 66-144) This invention relates primarily to knitting machines of the circular type and more particularly to an improved mechanism for automatic selection from a multiplicity of available yarns of individual yarns for feeding to the needles for striping effects in the knitted fabric.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a materially simplified mechanism of this class.

Another object of the invention is to provide a striping mechanism of the stated type providing a materially simplified method of control, easily adjusted for diiferent striping effects, and capable of faster operation than are the corresponding mechanisms of the prior art.

The invention may be more readily understood by reference to the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a knitting machine comprising striping mechanism made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view on an enlarged scale of that part of the machine immediately concerned with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 with portions broken away to show certain details of the mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 44, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view partly in section of certain portions of the mechanism shown in the upper part of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view showing details of the mechanism shown in the lowerpart of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 7 is afragmentary elevational view on enlarged scale showing a further detail of the mechanism;

Figs. '8 and 9 are reversed fragmentary enlargements of certain elements of the mechanism illustrating the mode of operation of said elements;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side view illustrating a further detail of the mechanism;

vFig. 11 shows face views of a number of the yarn selection control elements;

Fig. 12 is a side view of a filler strip constituting an element of the control devices;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a section of a pattern chain and of the associated cam elements, and

Fig. 14 is a side view of a striped sock as made on the machine of this invention.

The machine of this invention utilizes yarn change mechanism of the general character disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,624,792. This mechanism functions to substitute for a yarn feeding to the needles of the associated knitting machine any selected one of a number of available other yarns, such substitution being effected by severing the yarn passing to the needles and knotting to the severed end then extending to the needles a selected one of the said available other yarns. The mechanism also comprises a clamping device for anchoring the ends of all the yarns other than the one feeding to the knitting needles. Yarn change mechanisms of this Patented Sept. 1, 1959 character are well known in the art and require no special description for disclosure of the present invention.

In the present instance and in accordance with the invention the several yarn ends indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings by the reference numeral 11 pass respectively through eyelets 12, see Fig. 2, at the upper ends of a corresponding number of yarn selector fingers 13. The normal positions of these fingers is shown in full lines in Fig. 3, and they are movable individually by mechanism hereinafter described to the alternative positions indicated in broken lines in the same figure. From the fingers 13 the yarn ends pass upwardly behind a guide plate 14 to the aforementioned clamping device of the yarn changer unit, indicated generally by the reference numeral 15, again with exception of the single yarn end 16 which at the moment is passing to the needles of the knitting machine, this yarn being free from the aforesaid clamp device and running freely and under required tension to the needles. If a change in yarn is to be made, the finger 13 of the selected yarn is shifted from the normal position to the aforesaid broken line position, see Fig. 3. In this latter position of the finger the yarn is carried into the path of a pick-up finger 17 which constitutes an element of the yarn changer mechanism aforedescribed. The finger 17 is then actuated, counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 2, to pick up the new yarn for presentation to the knotter elements. The mechanism 15 then acts as previously described to sever the yarn then feeding to the needles and to knot to the trailing end of that yarn which extends to the needles the new yarn presented by the finger 17. The free severed end of the yarn previously fed to the needles is then engaged by the clamping device and is anchored for sub sequent substitution in the knitting operation.

The present invention pertains more particularly to the mechanism for operating the fingers 13 and the associated elements of the yarn selector. The fingers 13 are pivotally mounted or journalled on a shaft 18 suitably mounted in the frame 19 of the machine. The fingers are operatively associated with and are actuated through the medium of a trick wheel 20. This wheel is journalled for rotation on a fixed shaft 9 which as best shown in Fig. 4 is mounted a sleeve 8 threaded in the frame 19. The trick wheel 20 is rotated through the medium of an cecentric 21 which is mounted on a shaft 22 suitably journalled in the frame of the machine as indicated at 23 and 24 in Fig. 2. This shaft is connected to the input shaft 25 of the machine by means in the present instance of sprockets 26 and 27 on the shafts 22 and 25 respectively and a sprocket chain 28 which connects the sprockets and extends around an idler sprocket 29 as shown in Fig. 10. The shaft 22 is continuously rotated. Associated in conventional manner with the eccentric 21 through the medium of a strap 30 is a pawl 31 the free hooked end of which engages the teeth of a ratchet wheel 32 on one end of the trick wheel 20. In normal operation the oscillation of the pawl 31 by the eccentric 21 will result in an intermittent rotation or traverse of the trick wheel. Attached to one side of the ratchet 32 in relatively spaced relation circumferentially of the ratchet are a piurality of carnming lugs 33 which project beyond the periphery of the ratchet wheel, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. When in the normal intermittent rotation of the ratchet by the pawl one of the lugs 33 moves into position wherein it deflects the pawl outwardly from the ratchet teeth by camming action as the pawl advances the pawl will be rendered inoperative to further advance the ratchet wheel in spite of its continued oscillatory movement. Under these circumstances the trick wheel 20 remains stationary until such time as the wheel is further traversed by means described below.

" Pivotally attached to the under side of the pawl 31 is anauxiliary'pawl' 34. This'is' shown in Fig. 8 and also 7 imF-igr 2. The outer ofiset end 35 of this=pawl extends over the peripheral tooth surface of the ratchet 32 in position to engage the teeth when the pawl is depressed. Nor.- rna lly this pawl is retained in an elevated or inoperative position with respect to the'ratchet teethby anarm36' which,-as-sh'own in Figs. 4 and 6, extends'radially' from a -collar-37 mounted for oscillation on the hub38 of the trick wheel for angular displacementaround the axis of the pin 9.- Thenormal position of the collar37 is shown' in full lines in Fig. 6 and in this position the arm 36 under lies the pawl 34 and lifts it away from the' ratchet 32..

The-arm 36 is movable by an angular adjustment of the collar 37' to' a position shown in broken lines in Fig; 6;. and] in this position the arm is displaced from the pawl 34" and 'the latter is permitted to drop'against the teeth of" the ratchet.

Adjustment of the collar 37 and of the arm' 36 as described above is effected through the medium ofa pat= tern'chain 39. This-chain is suspended from a sprocket" wheel 40 which is journalled on the shaft 9 between the trick wheel 20 and the flange 41 of the sleeve'8. A spring; attached to the said flange bears resiliently against the side of the wheel 40 and frictionally opposes the otherwise free rotation of the wheel on the pin. The sprocket is rotated to traverse the chain 39 through the'medium. of a ratchet wheel 42 forming a part of' the sprocket structure. The ratchet 42 has atone side a loose flange 43 which is free to rotate with respect to and which projects radially beyond the toothed periphery of the sprocket. The flange also has teeth in its outer periphery bearing'a" relationship to the teeth of the sprocket shown in Fig. 7 L As therein shown, every second tooth 44 of the flange. 43" corresponds in depth and is aligned with a tooth ofthe' ratchet 42. The ratchet 42 and the flange contain the same number of teeth, and the intermediate teeth 45 of the flange 43 are relatively shallow and lie entirely outside of the outer periphery or apex circle of the teeth .of' the ratchet 42. The function of thisarrangementwill be described below.

The sprocket 42 is engaged by pawl 46 whichis attached to' the strap 47 of an eccentric 48 on the shaft 22. The pawl is thereby continuously oscillated to effect an intermittent rotation of the ratchet 42, 43. In each alternate stroke of the pawl 46 the end of the pawl is engaged in one of the relatively deep teeth 44 of the flange 43 and is therefore also engaged with the ratchet 42. Accord ingly in this stroke the ratchet is advanced to the extent of the pawl movement. In each of the other strokes the pawl will engage one of the shallow teeth 45 oftheflange 43 and will thereby be elevated above the teethof the ratchet 42 so that that stroke of the pawl while advancing the flange 43 will leave the ratchet 42 unefiected. In" this manner every other stroke only of the pawl 46 is efiective to advance the ratchet 42 and with it the sprocket 40. The pawl may be thrown out of action manually by retraction of a rod 6, see Fig. l, which has an offset end" underlying the pawl so that said retraction will elevate" the pawl from the ratchets.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 13 each of the pintles of the sprocket chain 39 is provided at one end with a threaded. bore 49 for reception of a correspondingly threaded end of a pin 50. The pin so mounted in the chain projects from the side of the latter as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Iournalled in the frame 19, see Figs. 3, 4 and 6, is a shaft 51, and pivotally mounted on this shaftabove and in. proximity to the sprocket 40 is an arm 52. Adjustably' mounted on the arm 52 is a depending tooth 53 which in a given position of the arm 52 with respect to its pivot 51 lies in the path of the pins 50 of the chain 39. One end of the arm 52 is connected by a link 54 tothe collar. 37 as best shown in Fig. 6. Whenthe tooth 53 of the arm is engaged by one of the pins 50 of the chain, the pin will act to adjust the arm counterclockwise, as viewed in. Fig; 6,- aboutthe shaft 51 tothe. positionindicatedin broken lines in that figure and will thereby adjust the collar" 37 through link" 54 counterclockwise to withdraw the arm 36 from the pawl 34, moving the said arm to the broken line position in Fig. 6 and permitting the pawl to drop onto the toothed periphery of the ratchet 32. If

the tooth 53 of arm 52 is not engaged by one of the pins 50, the arm 52 will assume the full line position shown in Fig. 6, thispositionioeing determined: by engagement of the outer free end'ofthe arm with a stop screw 55 mounted in a bracket 56 attached to the frame of the. machine. Engagement. of the pawl 34 with the ratchet 32"serves to traverse the ratchet independently of. theprimary pawl 31 so that if the latter has been rendered inoperativebyengagement withone of the lugs 33 of a sprocket 32 as previously described, the ratchet may be moved to an extent freeing the pawl'from the lug and restoring it to normal operation. The relative spacing of the pins 50 onthe chain will determine the duration of theperiods-during which the pawl 31 is held inoperative by the lugs. 33, while the latter determines the frequency of said periods.

It should be noted that the chain 39 also' carries a longitudinally spaced series of lugs 57, and that an arm 58 of a yoke 59 pivotally mounted'on the shaft 51 lies in the pathof travel of these lugs 57. The other end of the yoke 59 carries an arm 60 which, as best shown in- Fig. 2, lies behinda pin 61' on a pawl 62 which isv operatively" associated with a. ratchet wheel 63 at one end of as to permit the pawl 62 to engage the ratchet63. The.

pawl 62, which is oscillated continuously by suitable transmission means from the input shaft 25, will act to rotate the drum intermittently. When however, the arm 58 is. not engaged with one of the lugs 57, the yoke 59 and its arm 60 will. occupy an alternate position wherein the.

arm 60 by engagement with the pin 61 holds the pawl62 retracted from the ratchet 63 thereby immobilizing; the pattern drum 64. It will be apparent that the movements of the trick wheel 20 are synchronized with the operation ofthe pattern drum 64.

The trick wheel 20' has in its peripheral face a circumferential series of axially extended radial slots.65. These slots are adapted to. receive tricks 66, each. trick con-. sisting of a steelor. otherstrip. corresponding in length to the axial-length of the face ofthe trick wheel.. The tricks, see Fig. 11, have in common. a' pair of terminal teats67',.67'and. spaced from these teats inwardly toward the mid -section of the trick a second pair of teats .68, 68.v

j A.recess.69 separates. the teats 67 from the respective 1 are adapted to engage, individually, the..yarn. selection fingers 13. Thecharacter of thisengagement is indicated in.-Fig.. 3. wherein it will. be notedthat thefingers 13, 13 are provided at their trick engaging ends with inclined. terminal surfaces 71 which, as thewheel turns in clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. .3, will be engaged by anyone of. theteats 70. which may belocated. in alignment with the. particular .fi'nger and will be cammed outwardly by the. teat torock the. fingeralso in-clockwise-. direction as viewed in said figure. The tricks are held 'in. theirrespeetive. slots in;the .wheel frictionally inthe present instance. sothat retraction of any one ormore of." the.tricks..fromthe wheelmay be accomplishedlquickly andreplacementsmade with a. minimum of 'lost time.. The trick-retaining friction may be obtained by forming, themwitha slight bow sothat when inserted inthe slots they exert resilient pressure against the sides thereof." It. willibe notediby reference to Fig: 2 that there arein the.

present instance ten of the yarn selector fingers 13, and there will therefore be a' corresponding number of the teats 70 on the tricks. That is to say there will be tricks having their respective teats 70 arranged for alignment respectively with five of the said fingers, and the positioning of the teats for engagement with the remaining five fingers may then be had by simple reversal of the position of the teats in the slots. For those of the slots 65 not occupied by the tricks 66, filler strips lacking teats are provided as shown in Fig. 12.

As previously described the trick wheel engaging ends of the yarn selector fingers will normally ride on the peripheral surface of the wheel in the spaces between the tricks 66, and engagement of the yarn change fingers by one of the teats 70 will result in a displacement of the finger from the normal position shown in full line in Fig. 3 to the alternative position shown in broken lines in the same figure. In the first of these positions the yarn is remote from the path of the yarn pick-up finger 17; and in the alternative position the yarn lies in the path of the said pick-up finger. After each movement of a yarn selector finger into the latter position the pickup finger 17 is actuated to carry the selected yarn upwardly into the yarn changer unit wherein it is attached to the yarn then passing to the needles and the latter yarn is severed in accordance with the principles described in the aforesaid United States patent.

In the present instance the means for actuating the yarn pick-up finger 17 comprises a shaft 73 which forms a pivot for the finger and which has at one end a bevel pinion 74. This pinion meshes with a bevel gear 75 on a shaft 76 suitably journalled in the frame as indicated at 77 and 78 in Fig. 5. Attached to the outer face of the gear 75 is a crank pin 79 to which is connected a rod 80. To the lower end of the rod 80 is attached a lever 81 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 82 in the frame and which carries a pawl 83. A spring 85 tends to draw the pawl 83 into a notch 86 in the end of an arm 87 also pivoted on the pin 82 and connected through a link 88 and a strap 89 with an eccentric 90 on the shaft 22. Through the medium of this eccentric the lever 87 is continuously oscillated on the pin 82. The pawl 83 is normally held in a retracted position with respect to the notch 86 by a guard plate 91 which is pivotally supported on the pin 82 and which is connected through a link 92 with a knotter trigger finger 93 which is pivotally mounted on the shaft 18 with its lower end positioned in alignment with the teats 67 of the tricks 66. Thus whenever one of the yarn selector fingers is actuated as described above to carry a selected yarn to the pick-up finger 17, the finger 93 is simultaneously actuated to rock the guard plate 91 in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3. This counterclockwise movement of the plate releases the pawl 83 and permits it to enter the notch 86 in the oscillating lever 87 so that through the pawl on one side of the axis of oscillation and a stop screw 84 on the other side the lever 87 in effect is coupled to the lever 81 and then transmits its oscillatory movement of latter lever and therethrough to rod 80 and through that rod to the gear 75 which in turn rocks the shaft 1 to actuate the finger 17 to carry the selected yarn to the yarn-severing and knotting mechanism. The yarn-severing and knottying elements of this mechanism are actuated by a rock shaft 95 which in turn is actuated by a multiple cam 96 on the shaft 22 in accordance with the principles described in my aforesaid United States patents. This cam has two opposite segmental sections 97 and 98, see Fig. 3, which are adapted for engagement with a roller 95 on the lower end of the rock shaft 95 to actuate the latter. The cam 97 acts to retain the shaft 95 in a retracted and inoperative position and to return the shaft to that position after the latter has been actuated by the cam segment 98. Normally the roller 75a lies in alignment with the cam segment 97 and is held in this relative- 1y elevated position by an arm 99 on the end of the shaft 76 which carries the gear 75. The arm 99 engages under a collar 100 on the rock shaft to normally hold the rock shaft in the elevated position. When the gear 75 is actuated as previously described to operate the pick-up finger 17, the arm 99 is depressed from under the collar thereby permitting the shaft 95 to move downwardly under pull of a spring 101, see Fig. 5, this downward movement removing the roller 75 from the path of the cam segment 97 and introducing into the path of the cam segment 98. The latter cam then acts to rock the lever 95 and to actuate the yarn severing and knot-tying elements of the mechanism. When the finger 93 is disengaged by the teat 67 the pawl '83 is forced out of the notch 86 and the gear 75 and pick-up finger 17, as well as the rock shaft 95, are all returned to their normal positions.

In addition to the fingers 13 and the finger 93, and located intermediate the latter finger and the proximate finger 13, is a twelfth finger 102 pivotally supported on the shaft 18. This finger is positioned for actuation by the teats 68 of the tricks 66. Thus, when any one of the fingers 13 and the finger 93 are actuated as described above, the finger 102 is also elevated by the teat 68 of the same trick. The upper end of the finger 102 is connected to a link 103 whose other end is slidably attached through a slot 104 and screw 105 to a relatively fixed bracket arm 106. The link 103 carries an adjustable finger 107 which is operatively associated with a slow down switch 108 which controls the speed of the machine. The finger 107 is normally held against switch by a spring 109, but when the finger 102 is actuated by the trick wheel, the finger 107 is retracted from the switch which then through an electrical control means 110 acts to reduce the speed of the machine during the period of yarn substitution.

The mode of operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description. Each yarn change will substitute for the yarn then passing to the needles another yarn diifering in color or in other desired respect. Assuming a change in color, the change will result in a circumferential band or stripe in the knitted product, such as indicated at 111 in Fig. 14, of a length waleWise depending on the spacing of the lugs 33 on the ratchet 32. As described, the drum 64 controls the operations of the machine and its rotation is controlled by the chain 39. The chain, through the pins 50, also controls the rotation of the trick wheel, so that the operation of the trick wheel is in effect synchronized with the operation of the drum. The high degree of selectivity in arrangement of the tricks in the trick Wheel and in the positions of the lugs 33 on the ratchet 32 and pins 50 on the chain 39, the device affords extreme flexibility in the relative location and width of the stripes in the end product.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder, a plurality of yarn sources, and means for feeding yarn from said sources to the needles, said means including yarn change mechanism and a plurality of fingers for delivering yarn from the individual sources selectively to said mechanism for substitution thereby for another yarn then feeding to the needles, a rotary trick wheel operating in timed relation to the said cylinder, and a plurality of trick blades detachably mounted in circumferential series on said wheel in operative association with said fingers for actuating the latter, and means for operating the wheel in timed relation to the said cylinder.

2. A knitting machine according to claim 1 including a cam drum controlling the operations of the machine, a pattern chain controlling the operations of said drum, and means on said chain for regulating the operations of the trick wheel.

3. A knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein the trick wheel consists of a cylindrical drum having a circumferential series of axially extended slots for the tzick. blades and :imwhich slots the. said.;b1ades are; deg-e tadmbly; seated.

ating; theyarn change mechanism.

5.: A circular; knitting; machine according to: c1aim14 imludingmeans actuated by, the mck=.blades fondccel:

eating the knitting; machine during; theyamachange 01);

station.

6. A circularknitting maehine 'accondingflo; claim; 1;

including a cam drum=-contm11ing;,the, operations =0fthe machine and-=0peiating ,in'fimed relation-.with-eaid cyh. inder,' a pattern chain= forcontrolling; the? operation: of

:2. said drum, .a member drivenin tinmc hrclation iwith said cylinder and individual; drive. means: {on said chain 5 and thextrick wheel actuated by; said member.

No (references; cited; 

